8711. 'Men of truth hating gain' means because the truths are pure, devoid of any worldly end in view. This is clear from the meaning of 'men of truth' as pure truths (the reason why 'men of truth' are pure truths is that 'men' means truths, 3134, 5502, and 'truth' means faith, 3121, so that 'men of truth' means the truths of faith, that is, pure truths); and from the meaning of 'hating gain' as detesting the convincing false impressions which falsity and evil create, since 'hating' means detesting and 'gain' falsity and evil that are able to convince people and draw them away from truth and goodness. In general 'gain' means all falsity arising from evil that perverts mental judgements; and since this happens to those with the world as their end in view, men 'hating gain' also means those devoid of any worldly end in view. The fact that 'gain' means all falsity arising from evil that perverts mental judgements and draws a person away from truth and goodness may become clear to anyone who stops to reflect. 'Gain' in this sense is mentioned quite a number of times in the Word, such as in Isaiah 33:15; 56:11; 57:17; Jeremiah 6:13; 8:10; 22:17; Ezekiel 22:27; 33:31; and David, Psalms 119:36.

In the Word three terms are used to refer to bad actions: transgression, iniquity, and sin. Transgression is the least bad. It means a violation of what is true in an external context, a violation of what is right and orderly. Iniquity is next and denotes acts that violate more interior truths. Sin is the worst. It is a violation of what is holy and righteous, a violation against the Lord. Sin is the deepest kind of evil. Regarding iniquity -- to be in charity, or live a life of charity is to live a life where the acts and thoughts that have top priority are those that have within them a love for the neighbor. Sometimes our love of self, our inborn desire to put ourselves first, is stronger than our charity and we do something for ourselves at the expense of our neighbor, or even do harm to our neighbor. Such an act, if our motive is selfish, is an iniquity.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 9156, 9965 [2-3])